5 Answers
5

I would actually recommend the opposite of what was said above. Since the meat is so thin you may have much better results pan searing it in an extremely hot pan from slightly frozen. This way the outermost layer will start to undergo the maillard reaction long before the inside of the steak reaches a medium-rare temp and will give you a better chance of preventing it from overcooking.

This link provides an overview of the process for a much larger piece of meat then your using but the searing process is what your concerned most with since your steaks are so thin. You will likely have to play with the timing a little bit with regards to how frozen the steak needs to start out but I figure erring on the side of too frozen is best since you can then heat them in the oven to the internal temp your looking for.

That should work if you are prepared to freeze the steak, but how do I get the steak flat enough to be heated, I need to press it when freezing? Think you need a blow torch to make it work?
–
StefanJan 4 '13 at 5:54

@Stefan A 650°F (~350°C) cast iron pan will do fine. Sear will be done in well under a minute per side (I'd check after 15s or so). No need for a torch. (And you'll probably have to put the butter on afterwards, it'll burn...)
–
derobertJan 4 '13 at 12:57

A torch would work but isn't the most efficient option. I reccomend freezing the steak between two sheet pans with a sturdy weight on top to create a nice flat surface.
–
BrendanJan 5 '13 at 17:13

1

I wish I had that much space in my freezer :-)
–
StefanJan 7 '13 at 6:18

1

@Hanno Fietz, Here the flipping technique works against this technique. You use flipping every 15-30 sec to get the inside to heat more evenly and reduce the total cooking time, with this technique, you want to maximize the outside heating so it is probably better to not flip.
–
StefanJan 8 '13 at 5:06

The pan might be simply conducting too much heat into the thin steak to brown the outside before the inside is finished. Charcoal is a slower application of heat, and works by radiative heat instead of conductive. While such a grill can be a luxury, the broiler in your oven may have the same effect. Put the steak in a cool pan, toss under the broiler, and flip when its brown.

1) Let the pan be as hot as possible, add meat just before the oil starts to smoke.

2) Make sure the meat is NOT wet, dry it, water will steam before you get the steak to look nice, making that steam will reduce the temperature in the pan and not enough heat is left to make the steak look nice.

3) Do not put to much stuff in the pan, do only one or two steak at a time, do not fill the whole pan.

4) Use a pan with lots of 'thermal capacity' I.e. a heavy/thick iron pan, not a thin pan. This means that you have lots of heat stored in the pan and it will not get cold so fast.